Flanagan’s the man

January 12, 2002 8:24 am

The recent controversy surrounding David Flanagan’s campaign for governor concerns me, particularly reporting that casts Flanagan as a long shot or a person having too little political experience to win the election.

Flanagan is no long shot. He is both an extremely capable lawyer – having a highly respected record in public service – and a world-class executive who cares deeply about Maine people and shares their values. No other candidate can bring all of these diverse and important qualities to the task.

We need a governor who won’t accept a Maine that is merely a string of campgrounds on overcrowded highways connected to all points south – or a wasteland of clear-cuts connected primarily to international greed; someone who has the financial savvy to make Wall Street work for Main Street.

We need a governor who understands our unique identity, our prudent respect for this cherished environment, our strong work ethic and our fierce independence. We need a governor who will stand with us in both world markets and in national politics. And in these troubled times, Maine needs someone with both the stamina to protect our public safety and the character not to sacrifice our civil liberties in the process. In short, we need a governor who is smart enough, tough enough and committed enough to dig in and attempt to run the place for the benefit of those brave and cherished souls who actually choose to live here.

Flanagan is a man we can trust. Can he be demanding? Definitely. And past experience demonstrates that we’ll profit by it. That’s the Dave Flanagan I know: And he is the same David Flanagan that I intend to vote for.